Jul

31

Be Opened

By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off


“He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha’ (which means, ‘Be opened!’). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.”Mark 7:34-35

This man had been brought by his friends to Jesus. We do not know if the man had in some way asked his friends or if they took it upon themselves to seek out the Healer. Not  that it mattters. Jesus saw the faith and healed.

It is easy to get down in the dumps and  want to shut out the world. To slap our hands over our ears and tune it all out. At those times, I hope you and I have dear friends who will encourage us to go to Jesus. 

 With a deep sigh, feeling all your hurt and confusion , Jesus will call upon the heavens for you.  He will open your heart and heal it. He will open your mind to understand His Word and open your soul to receive His Spirit once again.   When Jesus says “Open”, may we, just like this man,  suddenly be able to hear Him clearly and to speak plainly to others of His glory  and love.

But there is a catch, isn’t there? We have to be willing to be open to Him. We also need to be tuned into others, as the man’s friends were,  to open our senses to their needs. Then we can lead them to the Savior to be opened as well.

On the cross, Jesus stretched out His arms and opened Himself to receive our sins. He opened the gates of Heaven for us to enter. All we have to do is be open to receive. I hope You feel Him saying “Ephphatah” to you today, and every day.

Dear Lord, You open Your arms waiting for us to rush in and be healed. May You love envelope us today so we can hear Your Word, speak it plainly ot others and draw them to You as well. Open our hearts and minds to receive you today into our lives, and every day. Let us never be deafened by the world, but clearly hear Your voice calling us into fellowship with You. Amen.

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.”  Psalm 51:15

Jul

31

A More Palatable Sermon?

By Jan Ross | 1 Comment


“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

We are living in a day and time where we see the meaning of these verses more clearly than ever before.  Mankind is searching for answers—spiritual answers.  But many are eager for the blessings that come with a life dedicated to the Lord but not the self-discipline, not the self-denial, not the self-abasement, not the humility, not the holy or righteous lifestyle.  Many want all the benefits without a life submitted to the Benefit Giver.

So many “Christians” flock to churches and the preachers, evangelists and teachers who will preach to them what they want to hear—riches, power, success, and the list goes on.  In essence, they have turned away from the truth and have become comfortable with lies and deception.  What has happened is exactly what today’s verse is relating . . . they have turned away from truth and have turned truth into fables.

Where do we stand?  Do we submit to the preaching of the Word of God regardless how uneasy we feel when confronted with truth?  Or, do we search for a more palatable sermon?  In order to tell the truth from the lie, the real from the counterfeit, we must be more than just casually acquainted with the truth.  When bank tellers are being taught to recognize counterfeit money, they study the genuine bills so when they encounter a counterfeit, they readily recognize it.  On the same wise, we must read the Word, study it, and commit it to our heart and memory.  Then, when we come in contact with a false doctrine or message, we will immediately know it.

Let’s pay particular attention in order to avoid being like those who will not endure sound doctrine. Submit to the whole counsel of God and allow the unadulterated Word of God to do its perfect work in our hearts.

Father, I pray that I will never become one of those who turn away from truth and seek after an easier doctrine.  Help me, Lord, to recognize the false doctrine of the world and to cling to the Truth presented in Your Word.  Help me never fall to prey to those who preach and teach an ear-pleasing message, amen.

“And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (John 17:19)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Jul

30

The Confidence of Youth

By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off


“For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”   Psalm 71:5-6

That is the funny thing about pre-teens and  teens.  They seem so confident and cocky. They act as if they are invincable, and yet they are so vulnerable to peer presuures. Truly a age of dichotomy.

David, as a youth, faced a giant named Goliath and defeated him. He knew his confidence came from God and God alone.  In the Psalms he calls God his refuge, his rock and his strength. Kids today face many Goliaths in their lives.  Walking down the halls of their schools where God is banned is just one.  The popular music today seems so angry, the voices yelling to be heard, the beat strong and in your face.  They have a world of information at their fingertips, yet many do not have a clue about the One who came to save it, and them.

As parents,  grandparents and as the elders, we cannot shirk our repsonsibility to reach out to our youth – however we can. Even if all you can do is pray, pray fervently that these kids will realze they need to rely on Jesus, to let their confidence stem from Him. If they are going to respect themselves and others , they must know in their hearts from whence they came and learn to turn to Him everytime the giants come over the next hill.  In fact, don’t we as well?

Heavenly Lord, You created us, your children and love us dearly. You are our strength and our comfort, no matter what giants we face in our world. Pour out your Spirit on the youth. Call them to Your side and give them peace in the midst of chaos and decisions. And strenghten their parents and grandparents in faith so they may be an example. Guide all your children to know you and rely on you more and more each day. For in You alone are our confidence, our strength and Our Redeemer. Amen

“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”  Psalm 71:18

Jul

30

Expressions of Love

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


“And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” (Nehemiah 8:6)

Surrender.  Reverence.  Humility.  Worship.

Worship is a spontaneous response from a heart overflowing with love and emotion. The response can come in many ways such as raising hands, bowing the head, lifting up the head, tears, loud praise, silent praise, and so on.

Your acts of worship will probably change each time you enter into His presence depending on how your heart is touched.  The Old Testament high priest, when he entered into the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement, carefully lifted the curtain, got down on his knees and crawled in backwards out of total reverence and fear of the Lord.  We see evidence throughout scripture that the presence of God – encounters with the Holy One of Israel – were not to be taken lightly.  God’s presence was and still is an awesome experience for any child of God, whether a new convert or a seasoned saint.

There are many Hebrew words that have been translated as “worship”.  In today’s verse, the word “worshipped” comes from the Hebrew word “shachah” which means to prostrate oneself, to bow down, to fall down flat, to humbly beseech, to make obeisance, do reverence, to worship.  You can get a clear picture of the honor the children of Israel paid to the Lord through their acts of worship.

Search the scriptures today to find the references for worship; search out the postures, the responses, the actions, and even silence and see how they all play an important role in the believer’s response in worship.

Love Him the way He deserves to be loved and don’t be afraid to express your love according to the pattern found in the Word. He’s worthy of our praise and worship.  He’s worthy of our deepest and most sincere worship.

Father, Your love for me is more than I can comprehend, many times I’m overwhelmed by the awesomeness of Your presence. Help me to learn to express my love to you through surrender, reverence, and humility, in ways that bring honor and glory to You and You alone! Amen and Amen!

“And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.” (2 Chronicles 29:28-29)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Jul

29

Shower Power

By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off


“He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.” Pslam 72:6

What a beautiful image the Pslamist give us! If you have ever lived through a parched, dry spell, you understand how wonderful it is to finally smell rain in the air.  The first few drops ont he freshly mown grass  always smell the sweetest. It is as if the earth is being cleansed. No wonder it is called a shower.

I’ve been told that freshly mowed lawns need the rain the most because their roots are more exposed to the sun and the leaves are shorter, so they do not retain water as well.  I think this is a great analogy for times in our lives when we feel mowed over.

Perhaps you feel spent. Your energy and strength has been whacked by the blades of life, willy-nilly.  You feel bare down to the roots. Exposed. Unprotected. Parched.  If that is where you are, take heart. It is going to rain.

Maybe your life needed to be mowed and even upturned a bit so you would be more ready to receive the sweet drenching of His mercy in order to grow stronger and  lush, with deeper roots.  Perhaps, if it had rained before, you would not have been so exposed to the Son.

Let our Lord rain down His mercy upon you. Smell the sweetness of His grace. He will  strengthen you, and will give you the power to grow stronger in Him.  Your long dry spell is coming to the end. His relief is coming, it is  in the air. Hear the thunder of His presence  and allow yourself to stay still enough to be drenched in His love.  He wants to shower you with it.

Dearest Father, You provide in Your perfect timing. Even when we wonder where You are and how long our dry spells will last in our lives, we must remain faithful that the rains of mercy and grace are on the way to quench our souls. Thank you for knowing our needs and for showering us with Your loving, life giving power so we can grow strong and lush in Your presence. Prepare the fields of our hearts to receive it. We pray this through your Son, who poured out all for us. Amen.

“Sow yourselves with righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousnes on you.”  Hosea 10:12

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